WASHINGTON - Former senator and Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said Democrats should not negotiate with President George W. Bush on an Iraq funding bill.

The North Carolina Democrat and 2004 vice presidential candidate said Democrats should not back down and, in a television commercial that began airing last week, urged Congress to keep sending the same bill to the White House.

The House Wednesday sustained Bush's veto of a $124 billion bill to fund Iraq and Afghanistan operations, because it contained an Oct. 1 timetable for beginning the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq and other spending provisions.

"And the way for Congress to stand firm is to resubmit another bill funding the troops but with a timetable for withdrawal," Edwards said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday.

"My response is the American people spoke very clearly in the last election, said they wanted a different course in Iraq."

Edwards said Congress had the funding authority to end the war and "they did exactly what they should have done."